Short answer: only if it's going on the street. Here's exactly when a permit applies, what it costs, and how we handle it for you.
Stays entirely on private property
Any part touches public right-of-way
Placement isn't the only rule to know before you load up — see our accepted & prohibited materials guide for what can and can't go in the container itself.
When you book, mention if your driveway can't fit the dumpster or if it's a new-construction lot. That's all we need to start the paperwork.
We submit the right-of-way permit request to the City of Bowling Green Public Works Planning & Design Division, at least 24 hours ahead of delivery, and cover the coordination.
No surprise invoice later — the permit fee is folded into the flat price we give you on the phone before delivery, same as everything else. See our full pricing guide for what's included at every dumpster size.
No. If the dumpster sits entirely on your own driveway, yard, or other private property in Bowling Green, no permit is required. Permits only come into play when a container has to sit on a public street, curb, or right-of-way.
The right-of-way permit through the City of Bowling Green Public Works Planning & Design Division currently costs $75. It's a flat fee regardless of dumpster size or how long you keep the container on the street.
The city asks for at least 24 hours' notice before the dumpster goes on the street. In practice, we recommend telling us your timeline as soon as you book so there's no delay between your delivery date and permit approval.
You risk a citation from the city, and in some cases the dumpster company can be asked to move the container until the paperwork is sorted out. It's a simple, inexpensive process, so there's rarely a good reason to skip it if your project needs the street.
Some do. Certain Bowling Green subdivisions with an HOA add their own guidelines on top of the city's, like requiring the dumpster to be screened from the street or limiting how many days it can sit out. Check your HOA's rules in addition to the city permit if you live in a managed community.
We handle it for you. When you tell us the dumpster needs to sit on the street or curb, we file the right-of-way permit with the city as part of booking your rental, so it's one less form for you to deal with. Want to see the exact department, form, and step-by-step process? Check our full right-of-way permit walkthrough.
Worried about people going through your rented dumpster while it's in the driveway? See our guide to dumpster diving and trespassing law. Thinking about splitting a container with a neighbor? See our shared dumpster guide. Dealing with storm damage that's blocking your driveway? See our storm debris cleanup guide. Want the full department-by-department walkthrough? See our complete right-of-way permit guide. More questions about pricing, sizing, or what's allowed? See our full FAQ page.
A few things come up often enough in this area that they're worth mentioning outright. If you live in one of the newer HOA-managed subdivisions — Cogan's Crossing and parts of Touissant Springs come to mind — the HOA can have its own rules on top of the city's permit, like requiring the dumpster to be screened from view or capping how many days it can sit on the street. Those are separate from the city permit and worth a quick check of your HOA guidelines before delivery, especially if you're planning a multi-week rental for a renovation or new build.
WKU students and their landlords run into this a lot too, particularly around the May move-out and August move-in windows. A lot of the rental housing near campus has tight, shared driveways that can't hold a 15 or 20 yard container, which pushes the dumpster to the curb almost by default. If you're a property manager handling turnover on several units at once, it's worth flagging every address that'll need street placement when you call, so we can file the permits together instead of one at a time.
And if severe weather's the reason you're calling — downed trees, storm debris, anything tied to the kind of spring weather that hit Creekwood hard in the December 2021 tornado — the city has historically moved faster on permit approvals during active cleanup periods. It's still not instant, so the 24-hour rule still applies, but we've never had it be the bottleneck in a storm-recovery situation.
Describe your driveway and we'll tell you honestly whether you'll need a permit — and file it for you if you do.
Rather put it in writing? Email bgdumpsters@gmail.com and we'll follow up.
